It's no wonder there are issues with the city's stormwater drains when, from my observations, so many homeowners, school caretakers, lawn-mowing franchisees and council contractors think that roadside gutters are the place to deposit lawn cuttings and leaves. Last Tuesday I saw council staff cutting long kikuyu on a verge and then a leaf-blower was used to send all the cut grass into the gutter. An hour later it rained and the grass was washed to the nearby drain, blocking the grill. That sent rain water further down the street to the next drain which couldn't cope with the volume and it pooled into the street. When a leaf-blower is turned on does it turn the user's brain off?
Matt Elliott, Birkdale.
Install tanks
Auckland City could solve its stormwater and sewage overflow problem with the stroke of a pen. It would not cost the ratepayer a single dollar. Every new residence and every residence upgrade should be required to install 1000 litres of stormwater storage and a pump. That stormwater would be used to wash clothes or flush toilets. Perth has this requirement.
My house has 1000 litres of stormwater storage. Every time it rains, that first 1000 litres of stormwater goes into our tanks rather than gushing into the stormwater system. The tanks regularly run dry and we switch back to mains water.
Imagine if every residence had 1000 litres of storage. If the Council changes the regulation today it will take years for enough tanks to be installed to make a difference but one day the problem will be solved. This is called long-term planning; a concept Government at every level has yet to grasp.
John Caldwell, Howick.
Traumatised after assault
I have just read the story of 27-year-old Rui Shu on your front page yesterday. In the Herald on Sunday Sir Colin Meads, 80, who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, talked about his fight "to beat the bastard". At 80, he could be forgiven for deciding to quit. But he hasn't. Tell you what, Sir Colin, all of New Zealand is on the sideline yelling our heads off for you. How about you joining us Rui? Those thugs took your bag. Don't give them your life and the lives of your parents and family.
Elizabeth Presland-Tack, Bayview.
Too many attacks
The unprovoked vicious assault on a student in Whangarei demands attention. The son of migrants seeking a better life, their lives now devastated. These barbarous acts of aggression are now all too common - this attack preceded days before in Mt Roskill when seven armed intruders attacked a shopkeeper.
The disturbing trend is that the perpetrators of these crimes are displaying ever more aggressive pathological tendencies. Law and order issues must become a major political plank for any party seeking office in election year in an endeavour to seek solutions to these appalling acts.
P. J. Edmondson, Tauranga.
Produce prices
The supermarkets are gouging prices, especially for fruit and veg. They screw the growers and maximise their markups, then they screw the consumer. What makes it worse is that people on lower incomes cannot afford the prices, leaving the stock on the shelves which then ends up in the dumpster.
If they priced goods fairly there would be less waste and higher turnover.
Tom O'Toole, Taumarunui.
Missing chooks
Like C.K. Stead, I enjoyed the foraging chooks at the Orakei Basin roundabout and was saddened by their disappearance. They got on with their business, sometimes with a bunch of tiny chicks in tow, seemingly oblivious to the endless stream of traffic. I imagine lots of commuters felt happier for seeing them.
Quite soon after the removal of the chooks a rash of ugly advertising signs appeared but this time someone did get it right and they have since disappeared. Bring back the chooks!
Joanna Hamilton, Mt Eden.
Islands sinking
The article by Kirsty Johnson and Mike Scott claiming sea level rise is washing away islands is misleading in the extreme. The problem is that the land is sinking. The very accurate sea level gauge in the Solomons set up by the Australian Government in 1994 shows there has been no detectable sea level rise since then.
What is really happening is that the islands are in a subduction zone and steadily sinking beneath the seas. There is absolutely nothing that can be done about this. Claiming that it is due to sea level rise does nothing to help the people on the sinking islands deal with a very real problem.
Bryan Leyland, Pt Chevalier.
New stadium
Yes Auckland is absolutely ready for a covered stadium of approx 30,000 capacity. This will be ideal for the Blues, Warriors and larger concerts previously held at Mt Smart Stadium. Duncan Garner and others suggesting we scrap Eden Park are forgetting two very important factors. Firstly we will still need Eden Park with it's 50,000 capacity for internationals featuring the All Blacks and the Black Caps. Secondly Eden Park has a rich history and is part of the fabric of a country as young as New Zealand.
I find myself liking the suggestion of Victoria Park as the preferred location, and love the idea of Eric Watson contributing to the building costs. This would be a wonderful way of him returning some of the money he took from thousands of mums and dads who invested in his failed Hanover Finance.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
Throttling Auckland
The planned targeted rate for infrastructure in the Auckland Council's annual plan seems more urgent following recent weather events, but this land tax will be only a trickle of what is needed to stop failing infrastructure in Auckland.
The mayor and council seem to be throttled by restrictive policy and laws from central government. The real answer lies with elected members and Wellington bureaucracies, which are strangle-holding Auckland.
Greater priority is needed on water, drainage, energy, social housing, public transport, parks and other infrastructure necessary for a 21st century international city. At the election this year, candidates for Parliament must demonstrate how they are going to enable the investment needed for improved infrastructure.
Kit Howden, Mt Eden.
Tax cuts
In spite of what the majority of people are saying on talkback radio, now is the right time to introduce tax cuts. Tax cuts combined with judicious government spending will generate an increase in growth and that will benefit everybody. Sure, the average worker will only see a small increase in his pay packet. The bigger increases in income that goes to medium and large business and to investors will enable them to increase production, buy more plant and machinery and of course take on more employees thus creating more jobs for the unemployed. An increase in production will of course lead to economic growth that lifts the standard of living and therefore benefits everyone.
Ray Bassett, Hamilton.
Super at 65
As I am 64 years old, the proposed changes in superannuation will not affect me. I am glad I should have an adequate income during my retirement and believe all those generations coming after me should have the same. There may come a time when most New Zealanders will be able to work for longer than aged 65. That time has not come yet. The Retirement Commission's website acknowledges that many people in their 50s and 60s are finding it difficult to get work. I doubt that this will have changed by 2034. Where are these additional jobs going to come from? Surely it must mean less work for the younger generation.
Yes the expense will grow, and the younger generation will have to bear the cost. They in their turn will age and retire relying on other generations to support them. Given that far fewer of them will own their own homes, many of them may well be in more need of superannuation than my generation is.
Jeanette Dowling, Whangamata.
